From unprecedented workforce growth and wages that hammer past $32 an hour to a quiet revolution where green building certifications are set to double, Quebec's construction industry is building a future as dynamic as the 285,400 people who power it.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, Quebec's construction sector employed 285,400 workers, marking a 2.5% increase from 2022
- As of Q4 2022, 68% of Quebec construction workers were certified journeymen, with 32% apprentices
- Women represented 4.2% of the Quebec construction workforce in 2023, up from 3.8% in 2021
- Quebec construction GDP contribution was $28.4 billion in 2022, or 7.2% of provincial GDP
- Construction investment totaled $52.7 billion in Quebec 2023, up 4.1% from 2022
- Residential construction added $15.2 billion to Quebec economy in 2022
- Residential building permits issued in Quebec totaled $18.9 billion in 2023
- 12,450 new housing starts in Montreal region Quebec 2023
- Highway infrastructure projects in Quebec valued at $4.2 billion ongoing in 2023
- Lost-time injuries in Quebec construction: 4,850 cases in 2023, rate of 17.2 per 100 workers
- Fatalities in Quebec construction sector: 28 in 2022, down 15% from prior year
- Fall from height incidents: 1,250 reported in Quebec construction 2023
- Construction output growth forecasted at 3.8% for Quebec 2024
- Residential starts expected to decline 12% to 35,000 units in Quebec 2024
- Non-residential investment projected $25B in Quebec 2024, up 5%
The Quebec construction industry is growing with a strong workforce but faces labor shortages and an aging demographic.
Construction Projects and Volumes
- Residential building permits issued in Quebec totaled $18.9 billion in 2023
- 12,450 new housing starts in Montreal region Quebec 2023
- Highway infrastructure projects in Quebec valued at $4.2 billion ongoing in 2023
- Commercial building completions: 2.8 million sqm in Quebec 2022
- Hydroelectric dam expansions accounted for 15 major projects worth $7.5B in Quebec 2023
- Renovation projects volume: $14.7 billion in Quebec residential sector 2022
- Number of active construction sites in Quebec: 45,200 in Q3 2023
- Institutional buildings under construction: $3.9B value in Quebec 2023
- Bridge rehabilitation projects: 180 sites totaling $1.1B in Quebec 2022
- Multi-unit residential projects: 8,900 units completed in Quebec 2023
- Wind farm construction: 5 projects adding 1,200 MW capacity in Quebec 2023
- Office space new builds: 1.2 million sqm in Greater Montreal Quebec 2022
- Sewer and watermain extensions: 2,450 km laid in Quebec municipalities 2023
- Industrial parks development: 15 new sites covering 450 hectares in Quebec 2022
- School construction and expansions: $850M invested in 45 projects Quebec 2023
- Retail space completions: 650,000 sqm in Quebec 2023
- Airport expansions at Quebec City: $450M project volume 2022-2023
- Single-family home permits: 22,100 issued province-wide Quebec 2023
- Hospital builds and renos: $2.1B in 28 projects Quebec 2022
- Rail infrastructure upgrades: $1.8B for 250 km in Quebec 2023
- Data center constructions: 3 facilities totaling 150,000 sqm in Quebec 2023
- Urban park developments: 120 projects with $320M budget Quebec 2022
- Port terminal expansions in Quebec: $950M for container capacity increase 2023
- Greenhouse facilities: 25 new builds covering 200 hectares Quebec 2023
- Sports stadium renos: $650M for 8 venues in Quebec 2022
- Fiber optic network deployments: 5,200 km new lines Quebec construction 2023
Construction Projects and Volumes Interpretation
Quebec is not so much constructing a province as it is ambitiously conducting a full-scale orchestra of simultaneous projects, where the constant hammering is just the percussion section keeping time for an $18.9 billion residential crescendo, a hydroelectric dam overture, and a chorus of 45,200 active sites hammering out everything from sewers to stadiums.
Economic Contribution
- Quebec construction GDP contribution was $28.4 billion in 2022, or 7.2% of provincial GDP
- Construction investment totaled $52.7 billion in Quebec 2023, up 4.1% from 2022
- Residential construction added $15.2 billion to Quebec economy in 2022
- Non-residential construction spending reached $22.1 billion in Quebec 2023
- Engineering construction contributed $9.8 billion to Quebec GDP in 2022
- Tax revenues from Quebec construction industry were $4.7 billion in 2023
- Export value of Quebec construction services was $1.2 billion in 2023
- Inflation in Quebec construction costs averaged 6.8% in 2022
- Small businesses (<20 employees) contributed 45% of Quebec construction GDP in 2023
- Productivity growth in Quebec construction was 1.2% annually 2018-2022
- Government procurement spending on construction was $12.5 billion in Quebec 2023
- ROI on Quebec construction R&D investments was 3.2:1 in 2022
- Construction bankruptcies in Quebec dropped 12% to 450 in 2023
- Venture capital in Quebec construction tech startups: $250M in 2022
- Energy efficiency retrofits generated $3.1B economic activity in Quebec construction 2023
- Supply chain spending by Quebec construction firms: $35B in 2022
- Profit margins averaged 4.5% for Quebec general contractors in 2023
- Quebec construction exports to US markets: $850M in 2023
- Carbon pricing impact on Quebec construction costs: +$450M in 2022
- Insurance premiums for Quebec construction: $1.8B annually in 2023
- Philanthropic contributions from Quebec construction firms: $45M in 2022
- Digital transformation investments: $1.2B in Quebec construction 2023
- Waste management costs in Quebec construction: $920M in 2022
- Advertising spend by Quebec construction sector: $180M in 2023
Economic Contribution Interpretation
For all its noisy, inflationary chaos, Quebec's construction sector is a remarkably sturdy economic engine, quietly pumping out billions in GDP, taxes, and exports while teetering on notoriously thin profit margins and trying to retrofit its way into the future.
Employment and Labor
- In 2023, Quebec's construction sector employed 285,400 workers, marking a 2.5% increase from 2022
- As of Q4 2022, 68% of Quebec construction workers were certified journeymen, with 32% apprentices
- Women represented 4.2% of the Quebec construction workforce in 2023, up from 3.8% in 2021
- Average hourly wage for Quebec construction laborers was $32.45 in 2023, excluding benefits
- In 2022, 15,200 new apprentices registered in Quebec's construction programs
- Quebec construction unemployment rate stood at 5.1% in 2023, below national average of 6.2%
- 22% of Quebec construction workers were aged 50+ in 2023, indicating aging workforce concerns
- Indigenous workers comprised 1.8% of Quebec construction employment in 2022
- Overtime hours in Quebec construction totaled 12.5 million in 2023, up 8% YoY
- 7,450 construction workers in Quebec transitioned to supervisory roles in 2022
- Quebec's residential construction subsector employed 112,000 workers in 2023
- Training hours delivered to Quebec construction workers reached 4.2 million in 2022
- Youth under 25 made up 18.5% of new hires in Quebec construction in 2023
- Unionized workers accounted for 92% of Quebec construction labor force in 2022
- Labor shortages affected 65% of Quebec construction firms in 2023 survey
- Average tenure for Quebec construction workers was 8.7 years in 2022
- 9,800 immigrants entered Quebec construction workforce in 2023
- Electrical trade employed 28,500 workers in Quebec as of 2023
- Part-time workers in Quebec construction rose to 3.2% in 2022
- 14% of Quebec construction workers held multiple certifications in 2023
- Plumber trade saw 5,200 active workers in Quebec 2023
- Remote work adoption in Quebec construction offices was 12% in 2022
- Injury-related absences cost Quebec construction $45M in 2023 wages
- 6,300 workers completed competency exams in Quebec construction 2022
- Heavy equipment operators numbered 19,800 in Quebec 2023
- Female apprentices in Quebec construction increased 15% to 2,100 in 2023
- Seasonal employment peaked at 95% workforce utilization in summer 2022 Quebec construction
- 11,500 workers aged 55+ nearing retirement in Quebec construction 2023
- Carpentry trade had 42,000 workers in Quebec 2022
- Digital skills training reached 25% of Quebec construction workforce in 2023
Employment and Labor Interpretation
Quebeс's construction industry is a paradox of robust health—boasting strong employment, enviable wages, and heroic overtime—and precarious fragility, as it nervously eyes an aging, overwhelmingly male workforce while trying to attract the youth, women, and immigrants needed to build its future without literally working itself to death.
Market Trends and Forecasts
- Construction output growth forecasted at 3.8% for Quebec 2024
- Residential starts expected to decline 12% to 35,000 units in Quebec 2024
- Non-residential investment projected $25B in Quebec 2024, up 5%
- Labor demand to rise 4.5% needing 12,000 new workers Quebec construction 2024
- Green building certifications to double to 1,200 projects Quebec by 2025
- Modular construction market share to reach 15% in Quebec by 2026
- BIM adoption forecasted at 75% of Quebec firms by 2025
- Cost inflation to moderate to 4.2% in Quebec construction 2024
- Infrastructure backlog projected $45B in Quebec by 2025
- Electrification projects to surge 25% adding $6B Quebec 2024-2026
- Prefab housing demand up 20% annually through 2025 Quebec
- Skilled trades shortage to peak at 20,000 openings Quebec 2025
- Sustainable materials use to hit 40% of projects Quebec 2026
- Drone usage in inspections to triple to 60% sites Quebec by 2025
- Public-private partnerships to fund 30% of Quebec mega-projects 2024-2028
- Renovation market growth 6% to $16B Quebec 2024
- AI optimization tools adoption 35% Quebec construction 2025
- Timber high-rise builds to increase 50% Quebec by 2026
- Supply chain digitization 55% complete Quebec firms 2025 forecast
- Net-zero buildings target: 20% new starts Quebec 2025
- Robotics in masonry projected 25% usage Quebec 2026
- Remote monitoring tech to cover 70% large sites Quebec 2025
- Affordable housing pipeline: 50,000 units Quebec 2024-2027
- 3D printing pilots to scale to 10% small projects Quebec 2026
- Cybersecurity incidents forecast to rise 18% Quebec construction 2024
- EV charging station builds: 15,000 new installs Quebec 2024
Market Trends and Forecasts Interpretation
Quebec's construction industry is boldly building a greener, tech-forward future, yet it must urgently solve the paradoxical equation of booming demand amid a painful shortage of skilled hands and a staggering infrastructure debt.
Safety and Incidents
- Lost-time injuries in Quebec construction: 4,850 cases in 2023, rate of 17.2 per 100 workers
- Fatalities in Quebec construction sector: 28 in 2022, down 15% from prior year
- Fall from height incidents: 1,250 reported in Quebec construction 2023
- Safety training sessions: 145,000 workers certified in Quebec 2022
- Crane-related accidents: 45 incidents with $12M damages Quebec 2023
- Compliance audit pass rate: 92% for Quebec construction sites in 2022
- Musculoskeletal disorders: 2,200 claims in Quebec construction 2023
- Electrical shocks incidents: 320 cases Quebec construction 2022
- Safety investment per worker: $1,250 annually in Quebec 2023
- Near-miss reporting: 18,500 logged in Quebec construction apps 2023
- Trench collapse fatalities: 4 in Quebec construction 2022
- PPE violation fines: $2.8M issued to Quebec firms 2023
- Heat stress incidents: 450 during summer 2023 Quebec construction
- Scaffold failures: 210 events Quebec construction 2022
- Asphyxiation cases: 85 in confined spaces Quebec 2023
- Safety committee coverage: 98% of Quebec sites in 2022
- Vehicle collision incidents: 950 on sites Quebec construction 2023
- Noise exposure violations: 1,100 citations Quebec 2022
- Lockout/tagout non-compliance: 620 fines Quebec construction 2023
- Ergonomics training reached 65% workforce Quebec 2022
- Excavation safety audits: 2,450 conducted Quebec 2023
- Fire incidents on sites: 340 Quebec construction 2022
- Hazard recognition app downloads: 45,000 by Quebec workers 2023
- Winter slip-and-fall claims: 1,800 Quebec construction 2022-2023
- Mental health support calls: 2,500 from Quebec sites 2023
- Respirator fit-test failures: 15% rate Quebec construction 2022
Safety and Incidents Interpretation
While the province's construction sites are impressively compliant on paper, the persistently grim injury tally suggests that safety certificates are being framed more often than they're being followed.
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